Doctor insights on:
Antibody Screen Gel

1

Antibodies:
A positive ANA means antibodies which can react with your body's cells. They can form after an infection, but do not indicate anything about the infection which is usually long since gone. There are many, many people whose ANA is positive and very, very few who have actual autoimmune disease. The question to ask is: for what symptoms was the ANA ordered?
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An antibody is a protein the body's immune system makes to identify potentially harmful substances in the body. Antibodies attach to the substance on a molecular level and mark it so the immune system can eliminate it.
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2

How about it?:
Up to a quarter of women your age have an ANA (immunofluorescent antibody) at a low titer like yours with a speckled pattern. If there's a question of whether you have lupus or one of its relatives, it's a piece of information to note and file for future reference. A negative ANA would rule several things out. Your result proves nothing positive. Best wishes.
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5

Radioactivity:
The farr assay is a radioimmunologic assay. It uses radiolabeled antigens to detect specific antibodies in serum. The antigens are allowed to react with the serum and then precipitated using a special reagent such as protein a sepharose beads. The bound radiolabeled immunoprecipitiate is commonly analzyed by gel electrophoresis.
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6

You have chlamydia:
"Detected" means the test found chlamydia -- i.e. a positive result. Return to the doctor or clinic where the test was done for treatment. (If you tested yourself at a lab, see a doctor or clinic ASAP.) Your current or recent sex partner(s) also need treatment. Good luck!
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11

Prob false positive:
To have all these antibodies to be positive is suggestive of a false positive result. Virus infection can cause similiar findings.
Ultimately these results have to be interpretted in the context of your doctor's findings. Talk to your doctor.
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12

Heads up:
One of the things that's frustrating about these antibody tests looking for different connective tissue diseases is that they are difficult to do and are fraught with pitfalls. I suspect you've had at least one lab error to complicate your workup. Have you have a tube test for u1-rnp? Your clinical symptoms and signs actually tell more about your diagnosis ; best direction for treatment.
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13

You have Herpes:
There should be two results for the igg one for type one and one for type two. But having positive results for herpes for either or both viruses means you have been exposed sometime in the remote past and that the results do not represent a new infection.
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15

Pos auto ab tests:
You are describing positive tests for auto antibodies. The differential diagnosis can be extensive. I am assuming a rheumatologist has ordered these tests? You need f/u with them to educate you what they mean, what further tests may need to be done and review your symptoms. Proper rheum DX is not based only on test results, but exam findings and symptoms of patient. Good luck.
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Conclusive at 6+ wk:
Official advice by many agencies is that stand-alone HIVantibody tests are not conclusive until 3 months. However, with the modern tests in current use, including the test you had, the results actually are conclusive any time 6 or more weeks after exposure. Feel free to have another test at 3 months if another negative result will help you get beyond your fears. But i really isn't necessary.
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18

Many Things:
This type of test is done for many types of infections, especially viruses or pertussis. In order to give you mroe information, I would need to know what specifically they were doing the test to check on.
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Probably normal:
Many people have a positive ANA without being sick. If you also have elevated liver enzymes, a workup for autoimmune hepatitis may be continued, but if there's nothing to suggest a liver problem biochemically, I'd not be in a hurry to diagnose despite anti-smooth-muscle. ANA means nothing apart from the clinical picture. Best wishes.
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20

About equal:
All three methods are FDA approved and about equally accurate. If you have concern about active Hep C infection, get a Hep C nucleic acid test.
For good health - Have a diet rich in fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, milk and milk products, nuts, beans, legumes, lentils and small amounts of lean meats. Avoid saturated fats. Drink enough water daily, so that your urine is mostly colorless. Exercise at least 150 minutes/week and increase the intensity of exercise gradually. Do not use tobacco, alcohol, weed or street drugs in any form.
Practice safe sex.
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